Franklin knight kennedy



(NoModeL) P. K. KENNEDY.

MANUFACTURE OF SIGN LETTERS.

No. 512,713. Patented Jan. 16, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT I OEEmE.

FRANKLIN KNIGHT KENNEDY, OF NEW BRIGHTON, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR TO TIIE BRIGHTON SIGN COMPANY, LIMITED, OF SAME PLACE.

MANUFACTURE Oi" SIGN-LETTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,713, dated January 16, 1894,

Application filed February 15, 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, FRANKLIN KNIGHT KEN- NEDY, residing-in the city of New Brighton, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Signs, of which the following. is a specification.

My invention relates to manufacture of sign letters, and it has for its object to provide a simple, cheap and effective method of manufacturing such letters, whereby an ornamental letter or character .may be quickly and easily made and be substantial, as well as ornamental and effective in appearance, and to these ends my invention consists in the method of manufacture and in the article produced, substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinafter moreparticularly pointed out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a plan and end view of the blank or base piece. Fig. 2, is a sectional view showing one of the steps of the process. Fig. 3, is a similar view showing a further step. Figs. 4 and 5, are perspective views showing the completed article, while Fig. 6, is a sectional View through one of the articles.

The primary object of my invention is to produce a sign letter or character which shall be complete in itself and which may be em-J ployed in making up any desired sign, card or other advertising or similar material.

It is well known that it is common for store keepers and others to prepare advertisements, calling attention to certain articles for saleor certain special matters relating to their business and it is exceedingly desirable to be enabled to do this in an artistic manner, and at the same time with as little expense and delay as practicable, and in order to do this, I provide a series of separate letters or characters, which are arranged in various combinations and styles, so as to give not only the information desired, but to present it in an attractive manner which will invite the attention of the public.

While I have illustrated my invention in for which it is intended.

connection with letters, it is evidentthat any character or form, ornamental or otherwise .SerialNo. 462,451. (No specimens.)

may be made by my process, and I will now describe the manner of carrying 1t out 1n connection with the accompanying drawlngs.

I provide a proper plate or base or body A,

which may be of any desirable material, such as metal, paste-board, celluloid or equivalent, it preferably having a somewhat roughened or uneven surface, in order that the material subsequently applied will. adhere more firmly and this plate is made of an outline corresponding with the letter, character 'or other form to be produced, and I have shown the letter-K, for purposes of illustration.

In a suitable receptacle B, which may be of any contour or construction, is placed a plastic material, and while this plastiematerial may vary in composition, according to the purposes for which it is desired, I have found that ordinary quick setting commer-' cial plaster may be used,it being mixed with a suitable liquid which will give it a sufficientamount of plasticity, so that while the particles have a certain amount of cohesion in their plastic condition, they are still capable of proper and convenient manipulation, as hereinafter described. This plastic material may be coloredwith any suitable pigment or otherwise made to'suit thetpurposes The plastic material being thus prepared, I take the plate A,

and by any suitable means, as the hand, or

other appliance, I place the face of the platev in contact with the plastic material in the vessel and as soon as it properly adheres to the surface of. the plastic material, I gently and slowly withdraw the plate vertically, it being shown in Fig. 2, as withdrawn a certain distance. As this operation progresses, the plate is withdrawn farther from the plastic material and a certain amount of said material adheres to the face of the plate and by its cohesion, it assumes naturally an irregular contour, the sides of the mass tapering toward each other until finally they arrive at apoint of coincidence. The result is that more or less of the mass of plastic material adheres to the face of the plate and forms an irregular surfaced body or letter corresponding to the general contour of the plate and having a substantially angular-cross section. Thus 10o it will be seen that the outline of the base portion of the mass constituting the body of the letter will conform substantially with the outline of the plate, while the central or rigid portion will have the same general contour, but it will be'more or less irregular depending upon the consistency of the plastic mass and the rapidity with which the form is withdrawn from the mass. In this way by dipping the face of the plate into the mass of plastic material and withdrawing it therefrom, allow-, ing more or less of the plastic mass to adhere thereto, Iam enabled to produce a highly ornamental letter, character or device, presenting an artistic and aesthetic device to the eye, and the whole is exceedingly cheap and effective. When the letter or character is thus formed, it may be ornamented in any desirable way, as by sprinkling tinsel, ornamental dust or pigments over the face of the letter or character, or portion thereof, before the mass is completely set, so that the ornamental material will adhere thereto, or the ornamental material may be applied otherwise as by a brush, by the useof some adhesive material, as will readily suggest itself to those skilled in the art. It will thus be seen that where the body of the plate is widest, as at a, for instance, a greater mass of plastic material will adhere, producing a thicker or deeper projection as 1), although at the same time it follows the general contour of the character or letter. It will also be evident that by withdrawing one side of the platealittle quicker, or in advance of the other, the general outline of the letter may be varied somewhat,

and other modifications will readily suggest themselves whereby my improved process can he carried out and various ornamental forms and characters produced, and they need not be fully specified herein.

When the letters or characters and forms become hardened or driedby exposure to the air or by artificial heat, they can be mounted on any suitable background by any of the usual means and it is apparent that artistic and aesthetic effects, as well as useful effects can be produced.

W'hat I claim is-- 1. The method substantially as herein described of making ornamental forms, consisting in first making a, plate of the proper outline, then dipping the plate into a plastic composition, and then withdrawing the plate from the plastic material, allowing the plastic material adhering to the plate to assume a natural position, substantially as described.

2. The method substantially as herein described of making ornamental forms, consisting infirst making a plate of the proper outline, and then bringing one face of the plate in contact with a plastic composition, then drawing the plate away slowly from thecomposition, allowing the material adhering to the plate to assume a natural form and then hardening the composition, substantially as described.

3. The herein described letter or character comprising a plate of the proper outline, having the body of plastic material adhering thereto, the plastic material having an angular cross section, which it naturally assumes from the contact of the plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

G. S. BINZLEY, PHILIP SOI-IUMACHER. 

